Disgraced former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo is feeling the heat. He shared one of his AI-generated ads over on Instagram, which critics are widely panning as a racist and bigoted attack ad. Posted in Local Last week, during our recent mayoral debate, someone posted this ad that uses AI-generated images of various people. One of those representations has been political figure Zohran Mamdani. Critics point out that the imagery contributes to racist and sexist stereotypes.
The not-so-controversial ad was apparently produced using the very same AI technology Cuomo used last month to write his New York housing policy. The image showed a Black man in costume as a pimp and a person in a keffiyeh engaged in robbery. Such a portrayal is indeed worrisome, and we should be concerned about what happens when such representations are normalized. Cuomo then posted the video to his official X account, though it was quickly deleted after receiving widespread criticism.
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, expressed her disapproval, stating, “This is so gross and full of racist stereotypes, including a Black man dressed like a pimp trafficking a car full of white women. Cuomo needs to be thrown in the ash heap of history.” Her comments were a direct response to the outrage on marginalized communities and their improper portrayal in the ad.
Laila Al-Arian, an executive producer for Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines, questioned the impact of the ad on Palestinian New Yorkers, asking, “How are Palestinian New Yorkers supposed to feel about this, or do they not matter?” In response to the ad, she singled out the inclusion of a keffiyeh as most egregious.
Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa, associate professor of Film and Media Studies, pulled no punches in his critique. He derided the substance as “next level fascist AI slop.” He added that it embodies a disturbing set of stereotypes long leveled against New York City.
Since the timing of the ad’s release coincided with a mayoral debate, this unusual ad has come under increased scrutiny. Originally uploaded by premier journalist Prem Thakker, the video went viral, bringing even more attention to the deeply questionable content it included. That’s pretty bad and really racist — Antonia Hylton (@antonia_hylton) July 8, 2021. Well this is disappointing.
The resulting outcry indicates deep concern about the application of AI technology in political communications. Researchers are largely opposed to it because they worry that it will support racist and sexist stereotypes. Cuomo’s decision to wield that imagery raises crucial questions about accountability in political representation. It serves as an important reminder about the dangers of using artificial intelligence in high-stakes environments.